Engine-starting apparatus



July 6 1926.

Z. C.- BRADFORD ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 18, 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 1 July 6, 1926.

2. C. BRADFORD ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 18, 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 6, 1926.

UNITED STATES LEE-M508;

'PNIENT OFFICE,

ZERBE G. BRADFORD, OF DAY'IOIJ; 01-110, ASSIGN OR TO THE DAYTONENGINEERING LABORATOEIESGOMl -ANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OFOHIO.

ENGINE-STARTING ABPARATUS.

Application filed November 18, 1924. Serial No. 750,667.

This invention relates to engine starting apparatus which comprises anelectric motor which drives apinion normally disconnected from a gearconnected with the engine to be started. The pinion provided withinternal spiral splines, is axially movable into engagement with theengine gear along a spirally splined shaft driven by the motor. ,A pedaloperated device moves the,

pinion into contact with the engine gearand closes the motor switch.Operation of the motor causes the pinion to be threaded into completeengagement with the engine gear and the motor thereafter to crank theengine. During this latter movement of the pinion the pedal isautomatically unlatched from the pinion so that after the engine becomesself-operative the pinion will be automatically disengaged from theengine gear regardless of the status of the pedal.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improveddevice for automatically unlatc-hing the pedal. from the pinion.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the presentinvention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings are fragmentary views partly in sectionshowing the starting apparatus in two positions of operation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig; 4 is a top view of part of, the apparatus shown in Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are side views of parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The startingapparatus includes a gear housing or bracket which may beattached to the engine crank ease and which supports a motor field.frame 21. The frames 20 and 21 support the motor armature shaft 22carrying an armature 23 and provided with spiral splines 24. A plate 25secured to the frame 20 provides a stop collar 26. The pinion 27 isprovided with internal splines 28 cooperating with the spiral splines 24of the shaft 22. Pinion 27 is adapted to engage and drive the enginegear 29. Pinion 27 is provided with a tubular hub or sleeve 30 carryingspaced flanges 31 and 32 which define a groove 33.

A pinion shifting lever 34 includes arms 85 carrying rollers 36 whichare received by the groove 33 and an upwardly extendmg portion 37 whichisadapted to be engaged by the 110011.38 of a latch 39 which is pivotedupon a rod 4Q hich i PP- W l at one end upon the main portion of anintermediate lever 41. Lever 11 includes a yoke, 42 provided with anextension 43 which supports the other end of the rod 40. The levers 34-.and 41 are supported by a stud 44 attached to .a bracket 45 extendingupwardly from the frame 20. i

The pedal lever which includes bifurcations and 51 joined by yoke, 52 isalso pivot-ally supported by stud 4A. The lever 50 is connected with thelever 41 by spring 53. The lever yoke 52 carries a button 54 forengaging the plunger 55. of a motor switch contained within the switchcase 56. A. spring 57 niaintainsthe plunger normally in the positionshown in Fig. 1. r The branches 50 and 51 are provided with alignedapertures 58 for receiving a pin, not shown, which connects thebranches. 50 and 51 with a pedal rod 59 which passes through acup-shaped member 60 supported by the automobilefloor board 61 andcarries at its upper. end a pedal. 62.v A spring 63 located between thecup 60. and the pedal 62 maintains the lever 50 in the position shown inFig. 1. l i

The pinion shifting lever 34 is maintained normally in the positionshown in Fig. l by a spring St bearing at one end against the stud 65carried by lever 34 and at the other end against the frame 20. Theintermediate position of the spring '64 is coiled about the stud 4A.

The mechanism for. automatically discon necting the latch 89 from thelever or extension 37 includes an unlatching lever 70. hava cammingprojection 71 for engaging a stud 72 carried by the latch 39. .The leveris provided with an ear 73? adapted to be connected with a spring 73which is at tached to a stud 74 carried by the latch 39. The latch 39includes the bifurcations 39 and 39" which are spaced so that one end ofi the spring 73 may pass between the bifurcations and be connected withthe stud 74: which extends betweenthese bifurcations. The turningof thelever 70 in a clockwise direction is limited by providing the lever witha stop arm 75 for engaging the frame 20. The lever 70 is also rotatableupon the stud 44.

The normal position of the apparatus is as shown in Fig. l in which thepinion is disconnected from the engine gear 29. To start the engine thepedal 62 is depressed to cause motion to be transmitted to the pinion 27through the following elements rod 59, lever 50, spring 53, lever 41,pin 40, latch 39, latch hook 38, lever extension 37, lever 34, roller36, flange 32 and sleeve 30. This motion causes the pinion 27 to bemoved into engagement with the gear 29. During the counterclockwisemovement of the lever 41 the stud 72 is engaged by the camming surfaces71 of the unlatching lever 70. Movement of the lever 70 in acounterclockwise direction is restrained by spring 73, therefore thereis a tendency during this movement of lever 70 for the lever 7 O to movethe latch 39 out of engagement with the lever extension 37. Thisunlatching is restrained by the operation of spring 73 which tends tomove the latch 39 toward the lever exten sion 37. As the lever 50 movesfrom the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 2 theleverage of the spring 73 upon the lever 39 decreases so that thetendency of the lever 7 O to unlatch or disconnect the latch 39 from thelever 34 gradually increases. After the pinion 27 is brought intoengagement with the gear 29 the motor switch will be closed byengagement of the button 54 with the plunger 55 and depression of theplunger 55. As soon as the motor starts the pinion 27 will be threadedinto complete engagement with the gear 29. This movement of the pinion27 due to motor operation being independent. of downward motion of thepedal 62, pressure at the engaging surface of parts 37 and 38 will berelieved. Just before the event of relieving pressure at the surfaces 37and 38 the operation of the spring 73 would cause the lever 70 to movethe latch39 out of engagement with the lever extension 37 if it were notfor the friction between the engaging surface of the parts 37 and 38. Assoon as the pressure producing this friction is relieved, the spring 73will be released to cause lever to cam the stud 72 away from the stud 44and thereby to disconnect the latch 39 from the lever 34.

As the motor continues to operate the pinion 27 will be automaticallymoved into complete engagement with the engine gear 29 and the enginewill be cranked by the operation of the motor. When the engine becomesself-operative the pinion 27 will be automatically disconnected from theengine gear 29 due to the spiral-splined connection between the pinion27 and the shaft 22 and due to the superior rotation of the engine gear29 relative to the pinion 27. While the levers 50 and 41 and the latch39 remain in the position shown in Fig. 2 the lever 34 and its extension37 may be restored to the position shown in Fig. 1. This restoringaction is assisted by the spring 64 which tends to maintain lever 34 asshown in Fig. 1.

When the pedal 62 is released the motor switch will be opened and thelevers 50 and 41 and the latch 39 will be returned to the position shownin Fig. 1.

In case the ends of the pinion teeth should abut the ends of the teethof the gear 29 during downward motion of the pedal 62, counterclockwisemotion of the lever 50 is continued until the motor switch is closed.During the movement of the lever 50 aft-er tooth abutment occurs, thespring 53 will be stretched beyond its initial state of tension.Therefore when the motor is rotated to register the pinion 27 with thegear 29, the sprin 53 will he suddenly released and the pinion 27 willbe quickly moved into ongagement with the engine gear 29.

In case the engine should fail to start after the gears have been meshedthe motor switch may be opened by the release of the pedal 62. Provisionhas been made for allowing the levers 50 and 41 and the latch 39 toreturn to normal position shown in Fig. 1, although the lever 34 mayremain in position shown in Fig. 2.

hat is claimed is as follows:

1. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, an electricmotor; means for connecting the motor with the engine to be startedincluding a pinion adapted to mesh with and drive a gear connected withthe engine, and devices whereby the pinion will be moved by operation ofthe motor into complete engagement with the engine gear after havingbeen partly meshed as the result of manual operation and whereby thepinion may be automatically demeshed from the engine gear after theengine starts and L drives the pinion, and means for manually effectingthe engagement of the pinion and. gear including a pedal operated lever,a pinion shifting lever, a latch for connecting the pedal lever and thepinion shifting lever, an unlatching lever for engaging the latch duringpinion meshing movement of the pinion shifting lever, all of said.levers being coaxially pivoted, and spring means tending to cause theunlatching operation of the unlatching lever and to restrain thedisconnection of the pedal operated lever and the pinion shifting lever,the engaging surfaces of the latch and pinion shifting lever beingarranged so that the connection of the pedal lever and shifting lever ismaintained until after the motor operates to mesh the pinion completelywith the engine gear.

2. Engine starting apparatus comprising, 1n combination, an electricmotor; means for connecting the motor with the engine to be startedincluding a pinion adapted to mesh with and drive a gear connected withthe engine, and devices whereby the pinion will be moved by operation ofthe motor into complete engagement with the engine gear after havingbeen partly meshed as the re-- sult of manual operation and whereby thepinion may be automatically demeshed from the engine gear after theengine starts and drives the pinion; and means for manually effectingthev engagement of the pinion and gear including a pedal operatedmember, a pinion shifting member, a latch for connecting said members,an unlatching memher for engaging the latch during pinion meshingmovement of the shifting member, the pedal member and unlatching memberbeing coaXia-lly pivoted, and spring means tending to cause theunlatching operation of the unlatching member and to restrain thedisconnection of the pedal operated mei her and the pinion shiftingmember, the en gaging surfaces of the latch and pinion shifting memberbeing arranged so that the connection of the pedal member and shiftingmember is maintained until after the motor operates to mesh the pinioncompletely with the engine gear.

3. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, an electricmotor; means for connecting the motor with the engine to be startedincluding a pinion adapted to mesh with and drive a gear connected withthe engine, and devices whereby the pinion will be moved by operation ofthe motor into complete engagement with the engine gear after havingbeen partly meshed as the result of manual operation and whereby thepinion may be automatically demeshed from the engine gear after theengine starts and drives the pmion; and means for manually eii'ectingthe engagement of the pinion and gear including a pedal operated member,a pinion shifting member, a latch for connecting said members, anunlatching member for engaging the latch during pinion meshing movementof the shifting member, and a single spring attached at one end to thelatch and at the other end to the unlatching member tending to cause theunlatching operation of the unlatching member and'to restrain thedisconnection of the pedal operated member and the pinion shiftingmember, the engaging surfaces of the latch and pinion shifting memberbeing arranged so that the connection of the pedal member and shiftingmember is maintained until after the motor operates to mesh the pinioncompletely with the engine gear.

4. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, an electricmotor; means for connecting the motor with the engine to be startedincluding a pinion adapted to mesh with and drive a gear connected withthe engine, and devices whereby the pinion will be moved by operation ofthe motor into complete engagement with the engine gear after havingbeen partly meshed as the result of manual operation and whereby thepinion may be automatically demeshed from the engine gear after theengine starts and drives the pinion; means for manually eliecting theengagement of the pinion and gear including amotor switch operatinglever, a latch carrying lever, a pinion shifting lever, a latch pivotedon said carrying lever and adapted to engage the pinion shifting lever,spring motion-transmitting means between the switch lever and latchcarrying lever, an unlatching lever for engaging the latch during pinionmeshing movement of the pinion shifting lever, all of said levers beingcoaXially pivoted, and spring means tending to cause the unlatchingoperation of the unlatching lever and to restrain the disconnection ofthe pedal operated lever and the pinion shitting lever, the engagingsurfaces of the latch and pinion shifting lever being arranged so thatthe connection of the pedal lever and shifting lever is maintained untilafter the motor operates to mesh the pinion completely with the enginegear; and

a motor switch operated by the switch lever. In testimony whereof Ihereto aflix my s1gnature.

ZERBE o. BRADFORD.

